Chimaev gave his opponent a choke hold on his face. A face crunch isn't usually enough to score an assist, especially against someone as tough as 'The Reaper', but Whittaker struck quickly at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Conversations immediately turned to a possible jaw injury, and now Dana White has provided an update.

Dana White provides the medical update to Robert Whittaker

At the end of the UFC 308 broadcast, Daniel Cormier shared a graphic image of Whittaker's mouth.

It was revealed that Chimaev's ridiculously hard pressure had cracked three of his bottom teeth.

Fans are deeply concerned that Whittaker may have suffered a broken or dislocated jaw, and White did nothing to reassure them during his UFC 308 post-fight press conference that the Australian fan favorite had not.

“As soon as that happened, I picked up the phone and called the truck,” the UFC boss said.

“They say, 'Yeah, his jaw exploded.' So I knew what happened because I also didn't know what happened or why he knocked so quickly.

“We said, 'He didn't even have the choke in.'” It was strange. Yes, he dropped his jaw.

“If you do that, it splits and your teeth get completely messed up. Rob has this right now.

White couldn't say for certain what Whittaker's injury was, but he was certain of one thing.

He added: “I don’t know yet. It's not good!

“If your teeth move (in different directions), that’s not good.”

What's next for Khamzat Chimaev?

Chimaev improved his perfect MMA record to 14-0 with his best performance to date at UFC 308.

With the victory over Whittaker, the 30-year-old seems to have prepared himself for the title fight.

Middleweight king Dricus du Plessis is expected to defend his belt against Sean Strickland in 2025.

“DDP” dethroned Strickland earlier this year with a razor-thin split decision victory. Since then, the champion has sent Israel Adeanya to defend the belt, while the retired American has beaten Paulo Costa to secure a rematch.

Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 is being closely linked to UFC 312, which will take place in Australia on February 9 – but White seemed to hint that Chimaev could jump the queue after his sensational victory on Saturday night.

“That's a good question. Call me on Tuesday,” White said when asked who will face the 185-pound king next.

Strickland sent Chimaev a message immediately after his big win at UFC 308.

He tweeted: “Understand one thing…. I'm next in line… It's been said, it's been written… January/February me and Dricus du Plessis are arguing.

“Go back to Chechnya and wait a few months… wait… sorry UAE… you’re not allowed in Chechnya… But hey, crypto scams while you wait.”

Strickland seems confident in his position, but White is not, and only time will tell who will take the middleweight title next.

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